The Virgin Mary Portaitissa, or Panagia Portaitissa, is a miraculous icon accredited to Saint Luke the Evangelist. Icons depicting the Panagia Portaitissa are the most famous icons of the Theotokos, or Virgin Mary. According to tradition, the original...

Virgin Mary, Sweet Kissing is one of the most familiar depictions. An icon inspired by the Virgin that is located in the Holy Monastery of Preveli in Crete. It is an intriguing version depicting the Mother of God, an artwork of a hagiographer of the...

Saint Anna, the patron saint of mothers and children. Saint Anna, the mother of the beloved Virgin Mary, and her husband Joachim were married for 20 years without a child. After enduring much pain and rejection he traveled to the desert, praying to God...

Also referred to as Virgin Mary of the Seven Sorrows, the swords aimed at Mary’s heart symbolize the pain she felt watching her Son during the time of his crucifixion. Traditionally, the seven sorrows are: 1. The Prophecy of Simeon as found in Luke...

Archangel Gabriel was the holy messenger sent to inform Zechariah of the birth of John the Baptist. He is further associated with the Annunciation, the event in which Archangel Gabriel visits the Virgin Mary to inform her that she will give birth to...

The Princess Elizabeth Feodorovna was born in 1864. She was the granddaughter of the Queen of England, Victoria, and of Ludwig IV, the Grand Duke of Hesse. Her benevolent, compassionate, and pure soul was evident from her first years. She treated all...

At the age of nineteen, Saint Seraphim entered the monastery of Sarov, where he showed his obedience, self-discipline, and humility. He devoted himself to solitary prayer in the forest. He returned to the monastery after fifteen years of living in the...

Central Icon: The Virgin Mary Perpetual Help, or Our Lady of Perpetual Help, is a common Byzantine-era icon of the Theotokos, popularized by the Roman Catholic Church. According to tradition, the icon is from the Keira Kardiotissas Monastery, but...

The Crucifixion is one of the icons that make up the Twelve Feasts. Jesus Christ was crucified in AD 30 or AD 33 after being sentenced to be scourged, then put to death by Roman executioners. One of the sayings of the cross is: “It is...

The Crucifixion is one of the icons that make up the Twelve Feasts. Jesus Christ was crucified in AD 30 or AD 33 after being sentenced to be scourged then put to death by Roman executioners. The scenes are: The entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), The...

Central Icon: The icon of the Virgin Mary Vrefokratousa, or Virgin Mary Child Holding, depicts the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus in her arms. The style of the icons follows the structure of the Virgin Mary Hodigitria, icons which depict the...

The Crucifixion is one of the icons that make up the Twelve Feasts. In this rendering, the Archangels and the Virgin Mary surround the central icon. Jesus Christ was crucified in AD 30 or AD 33 after being sentenced to be scourged, then put to death by...